Forceful Toothbrushing is Damaging

Posted March 12, 2018.

As an impressionable youth, you always did what your parents told you. After all, they know everything, right? So, when you were told to brush your teeth properly or you would get cavities, you did it. You might’ve even done it with a passion–a little too vigorously. Some of us even carried that detrimental thinking into adulthood.

The truth is, it is damaging to your teeth and gums to brush too forcefully. It really only takes a commitment to twice daily brushing (and daily flossing) to remove the cause of all oral decay. Plaque is actually easy to remove from the surfaces of teeth because it is a soft substance. It only becomes hardened tartar after it has been neglected and allowed to flourish. At that point you will need a professional cleaning at the dentist office to remove.

The potential loss of enamel is one factor of long-term hard brushing, but the major risk is to the gums. Vigorous toothbrushing can destroy the soft tissue where the teeth meet the gums, and where it is the thinnest, along the gumline. This can cause a receding gum line exposing the roots of the teeth that have no protective covering of enamel, leaving them vulnerable to bacteria and decay.

If you’d like more information about proper toothbrushing, call Drs. Price and Bauscher. Our entire team at Price Dental Associates will be happy to help you. Make an appointment at: 281-493-1550, or come by our office in Houston, Texas.